Prins Christian Sund

Weather Station
Nick-name: "Hells Corner"


Weather and Radio Operations Center building - app. 1950

Station #

Call Sign

Bluie code

Build

Location

?

WYTC-551

BE 1

(1942)

60°02'N 43°07'W

 

Location spotted by Captain Elliott Roosevelt's air survey in 1942. The location merits a few descriptive words taken from USAF history:

"The only possible site was in a narrow ravine about 15-20 miles from the mouth of the Prince Christian Sound at the Atlantic ocean. The Sound is 3 to 4 kilometres wide and becomes ice-jammed during some months during the Spring. The men at this station are isolated, except for radio contact, depressions occur during the periods when ice blocks ship arrivals. They live in sturdy buildings, cabled to the rocks, to withstand high winds that have been recorded at times from 90 to 175 miles per hour. During the 1942-43 season three anemometers and two (weather) instrument shelters were blown away. When a slide damaged the buildings, new materials were flown in by a B-25 medium bomber. The plane made a hazardous 'bombing run' up the ravine, dropped a tightly wired bundle of lumber to the men, and climbed steeply up the face of a mountain to get out of the trap."

 

Captain Robert P. Sykes, USAAC - Commander 8th Weather Squadron Detachment. Inspection of Prins Christian Sund (21st - 22nd September 1944) - "Belle Isle" & "Polarbjørn":

At 2030Z on 21 September, we arrived at Prince Christian's Sound. During the day a PBY had dropped two packages in the fjord, because of a high surface wind. Unfortunately there had been no contact between the ground station and the plane.

We unloaded the aviation gas during the morning of 22 September without incident. At the time a Signal Corps instruction party under Lt. Whitney was making good progress in their D.F. [direction finder] installation. Departed Prince Christian's Sound at 1330Z, 22 September 1944.

 

Assigned Year Personel Units
US Army 1942 - 1945 8 men 8th Weather Squadron Detachment
137th Army Airways Communication System Squadron
Denmark 1945 - 10 men DWXCO


Danish radio operator Weber at Prins Christian Sund (1946-48)
 


15 cent air mail to Denmark send via APO 677 (= Goose Bay, Nfld)


Letter written on 14.4.1947 from Willy Petersen - Canc. APO 858 (20.4.1947).
Expect icebreacker on the 16th or 17th of April.

Name

Postmark

Date

Sender

Note

Prins Christian Sund

APO 677

24.2.1947

Weber-Nielsen
c/o DWXCO APO 858
Prins Chr. Sund
c/o Postmaster New York N.Y.

PR

Prins Christian Sund APO 858 20.4.1947

Willy Petersen (14.4.1947)
Prince Christian Sound
DWXCO APO 858
POSTM New York N.Y.

PR

Postal Service

Post Office

Postmark

Year

Note

APO

N/A 1942-45 US Army
APO N/A 1945-48 Danish
Prins Christians Sund 1949-  

Gallery

Main building
Winter 1950
(ex. Lomholt)
Main building
Winter 1946 or 1947
(ex Arved)
1946 or 1947: US Army building team leaving
Prins Christian Sund

(ex Arved)

QSL


1949 QSL card from OX3UG - Erik Faber (Greenland Antique QSL Cards)


1951 QSL card from OX3WX - John Lomholt

Personel

Year

Name

Note

1946-48

Arved

Danish
1946-4?

Weber-Nielsen

Danish
1946-47

Willy Petersen

Danish
-1949-

Erik Faber

Danish
1950-51

John Lomholt

Danish

External Links: John Lomholt page, Arved pictures.
 

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Update: 7.10.2006
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